Q: Questions to both team principals: there’s obviously a great deal of interest in the possibility of a second Grand Prix out here in Singapore. Could I have your feelings about that, and the possibility of it being a night race?
Jean TODT: We must first make sure that safety is the number one item, so there are a lot things that have to be checked because even talking with people in charge of TV programmes they have some doubts about that, but I will say that if Bernie and the promoters find proper evidence that it’s better, as long as it goes in the right direction, why not? I would be careful because some organisers have been investing a lot of money by making beautiful circuits. Some will do in the future, so we must be cautious for those who do invest in new motor racing stadia that things are equal. We know that circuits like Monte Carlo are part of the history of motor racing, but everybody says we must go to Monte Carlo but we are not so happy to think about other street circuits so we need to make sure that it’s going in the direction that it can really make a good race. If it makes a good race, why not? Q: Another question for you both: both your teams came here for three days’ testing last week. Was that as beneficial, if not more beneficial perhaps than three days testing in Europe?
JT: Economically it was a good thing because we know that this year an agreement has been taken amongst all the teams. It seems that it was the right direction, but in the past it was very difficult to be in the proper situation with hot race conditions. Being able to come for three or four days with one car in Malaysia was very helpful but the drivers could answer even more precisely to this question.
Q: Final question to you both: you’ve both lost World Champions from your teams this year, for whatever reason, how much are you missing the input of those World Champions?
JT: I have been covering this point quite widely over the last month but I will summarise. Michael has made an outstanding contribution to Ferrari. He has won 72 Grands Prix, I think, for Ferrari, five World Championship Drivers titles, contributed to six Manufacturers and he has decided to stop his racing career and I understand his decision. Ferrari is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year. It’s had its ups and downs. Overall, we have been quite competitive for the last ten years so we have been trying to work on a stable team which can allow itself to lose some strong team members like Michael. Our responsibility was to try and find the best driver but not only the best in terms of driving but in terms of mentality to suit the team, to fit the team. Michael, nevertheless is still a part of the company and we are very happy with his contribution. He’s happy about his situation and we are very happy with Kimi and Felipe so now we just have to demonstrate all that with some results. We have to deliver,
so we will try to deliver.
Q: Kimi, obviously you were winner of the Australian Grand Prix; how do you feel testing went today?
Kimi RÄIKKÖNEN: I think it went reasonably OK. I wasn’t 100 percent happy with the car but we learned some things. The circuit was slightly different than it was last week, so we still have some work to do.
Q: In what way different?
KR: Just the grip level is slightly… the set-up is not as good as it was a week ago. Something has slightly changed, maybe the weather. The grip is slightly different so we need to work on the car still.
Q: Is there a big difference between the two tyre specifications?
KR: I would say it’s similar to what it was in Melbourne. The harder was working better than the softer one but here it seems to be the opposite.
Q: And what’s the situation with your race engine from Melbourne?
KR: We are going to keep it. There’s no reason to change it.
Q: And now a question to you both: what are your feelings about the possible ban of traction control?
KR: I think it’s going to be more fun, although not always fun because for sure it’s going to make it more difficult to drive on the limit, but when I started in Formula One, we didn’t have traction control so I think it’s going to make a difference in the races, for sure, but maybe not so much over one lap but over the race distance, for sure. We will see how it goes.
QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR
Q: (Andrea Cremonesi – La Gazzetta dello Sport) If I understood correctly, Mr Todt, you have decided to keep the engine. Could you explain the technical reasons for that please?
JT: Rather than talking about technical I would say it’s for sporting reasons. Since last year, it’s one engine for two race weekends so we just completed the first race in Australia and then we are going to keep both engines we had in Australia for Malaysia. It’s as simple as that. You know the whole rumour started from speculation. It is true to say that at the end of the Australian Grand Prix, on the last laps, Michael… you see?
FB: You see, I am not the only one!
JT: …Kimi had a problem with the pipe and he lost some water, very little water, so we did more checks than if it did not happen. Then Kimi simulated the problem during the free testing that we had in Malaysia and after all that, nothing demonstrates that we should change our programme which means we keep the same engine we had in Australia.
Q: (Andrea Cremonesi – La Gazzetta dello Sport) But you just decided today to say that you tested last week in Malaysia but why did you decide to keep it secret until today?
JT: You should know because we have the same talking on behalf of Ferrari for a few years that we accept speculation but it doesn’t change our way of strategy of announcing and there was no specific reasons to emphasise on the engine, because again we never emphasised the engine situation but speculation from outside spoke about the engine situation.
Q: (Paolo Ianieri – La Gazzetta dello Sport) Kimi, do you think it’s going to be a one-two for Ferrari, looking at the results from this morning and this afternoon?
KR: I don’t know, it’s too early to say. It’s always a difficult race. I think it will be easier to say after qualifying how things have gone but anything can really happen because the race is for sure one of the hardest for the cars, for the drivers, for everything, so we will do the best that we can and hopefully we can have a good result for the team but we will just wait and see.
Q: (Andrea Cremonesi – La Gazzetta dello Sport) Question for the two team principals: talking with Bernie, he said that he would like to change this Friday formula, making one car for one of the racing drivers and the second car for a young driver or a test driver. Do you agree with that proposal or not?
JT: It’s the first time that I’ve heard of this proposal so I’m open. It’s the same as talking about night racing on street circuits. If we have a specific meeting with this point on the agenda we will discuss it and if we find there is very good evidence that it is a good thing, which, honestly, at the moment, I would not support then we can discuss but if I see good reasons to do that then we will discuss.
Q: (Heikki Kulta – Turun Sanomat) Kimi, how do you rate your chances of getting your first pole here as you are keeping the engine?
KR: It has not changed anything. We will do the best we can tomorrow and hopefully we can achieve a good result, at least. It is going to be difficult always to get pole position, but we have a good chance for it and we just need to work on the car and see how the weather is tomorrow and do the best that we can.
Q: (Marco Evangelisti – Corriere dello Sport) Kimi, do you think that the decision to keep the engine can result in more conservative race tactics? Or will it have no effect?
KR: We need to see the position and how the race goes. I think everything really goes from there and it is too early to decide now. I think after qualifying we are closer than we are now. I need to analyse a bit from today and see where we think we are and then decide.
Q: (Dan Knutson – National Speed Sport News) For the two team bosses: lots of new race venues are coming along – how much loyalty does Formula One owe to its traditional venues?
JT: Formula One is a world-wide sport, a world-wide business. On the one side, I like history and nothing has demonstrated so far that most of the races are still (to be) in Europe and I mean (from) what we see of the future, it does not change, it is a tendency, but we must demonstrate that Formula One is a worldwide discipline and it is a big challenge. When you see circuits like Malaysia, Turkey, China, some coming in like Abu Dhabi - it pushes everybody to work to always improve the quality of the circuit, the safety and push even the European organisers to do better. It is healthy competition and it is good. If it is healthy competition, it is always good.
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